Mainstage Theatrical Supply - theater lighting and dimming, theatrical curtains and rigging, stage makeup and theatre supplies

Theatrical and Stage Lighting Fixtures

Lighting designers and technicians are not only required to know how to achieve any desired lighting effect but to keep pace with ever changing technology and trends while staying within budget. We feel your pain! Whether you are replacing a tired fixture or designing a brand new space we'll help you put together just the right product. Mainstage is proud to provide fixtures from the finest manufacturers such as ETC (we are a Million $$ Dealer), Altman, Strand, Lighting & Electronics and Color Kinetics (to name just a few).

Fixtures can be loosely catagorized two ways; fixed or moving. Fixed stay in place and require human operator to manually direct the focus of the beam. Moving fixtures are controlled by electronics and pre-programmed for a variety of effects including moving, color changing and image rotation or change.

There are several broadly defined types of stage fixtures. These are used alone or in conjunction with each other as well as with dimming and/or control componants to create any kind of effect imaginable.

Border-Striplights: Compartmentalized strips of lamps in various lengths used to produce a wash of light the width of the stage, typically in three or four circuits. Striplights are generally used for lighting scenery or cycloramas and backdrops.

Cyc/Flood/Scoop Lights: Variations of the striplight, with a specially shaped reflector producing a very wide, very soft field of light ideal for lighting a cyc or backdrop from top to bottom. Typically, these lights are available in one to four cell units and can be used on either floor or pipe.

Ellipsoidals: Generally fixed focus spotlights which produce a round, hard edged beam of light with even light intensity across the beam. Ranging in size from 2 to 8 inch lens sizes with various focal lengths, these fixtures are also used for pattern projection.

Followspots: Variable beam instruments mounted on a swivel base to enable an operator to follow performers with a defined spot of light. The beam of light is similar to an ellipsoidal, but with controls to allow beam shaping and color changing.

Fresnels: Spotlights which produce a variable round, soft edged beam of light. The beam width is changed by moving the lamp closer or further from the lens. Fresnels are normally used for down, back and side lighting.

PARs: (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector) Spotlights that emit a rectangular soft wedged pool of light generally used to produce intense washes of light. Traditional PARs are self contained with lamp, lens and parabolic reflector combined into one unit and requiring a lamp change to effect field size. More recent products have seperate lamps and reflectors with interchangable lenses.

Moving Lights: There is a huge variety of moving fixtures available for moving, spinning, pulsing, color or pattern changing effects. These fixtures are made with moving heads and/or yokes which move the entire fixture body, or with moving mirror/scanner which redirects the light by panning and/or tilting the mirror.

As technology evolves, the lines between fixture types can blur. The ETC PARNel combines facets of a PAR with those of a Fresnel. Ellipsoidals zoom. While "fixed" fixtures don't move or spin on their own they can be fitted with a variety of accessories to emulate moving light effects. And then there's the new kid on the block; dimmable LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) lighting is increasingly incorporated into lighting design. This isn't classified as a "type" of fixture but rather as fixtures which use LED technology in a variety of form, fit and function. There are LED fixtures which have the same field sizes as PARs and M16s. There are tiles, submersibles, spots, washes, color changers and video projectors. LEDs burn longer, require less maintenance, are cooler, have a "purer" light and are extremely economical to run. There are also LED lamps designed to retrofit into standard fixtures and sockets.

With all these choices and so many product lines from which to chose, how do you decide what is best for your facility? No doubt about it, there are some great companies out there providing sound advice. Mainstage does that and more; utilizing over 25 years experience in lighting system design and installation, we provide consultations and free quotations. While we are dealers for a large number of manufacturers, we recommend what is right for our customer based on specifications, budget and venue. We don't have dealer quotas to meet and we won't try to sell you what you don't want or need.